"Lift it a little higher" Jinx paused a readjust her position

"Now pull it back…that's it a little further" the flax dug into Jinx's hand but she ignored it

"Now release" and as Jinx let the flax go she felt the energy from the bow release into the arrow. The arrow landed with a thud on the exact centre of the target

"Wow" Jinx said breathlessly and turned to look at Robin and Much who were standing there looking shocked

"Not bad…Not bad at all" Robin clapped

"How did you do that?" Much asked

"It's a fluke" Jinx said modestly

"No that was not a fluke that was talent" Robin said as he pulled the arrow out of the target.

It had been two weeks since Jinx had joined the outlaws and she had changed into a completely different person as Robin looked at her he barley recognised the young girl he comforted in the forest. Maybe it was how she held her head differently or the look she had in her eyes but she was different. And even now she still surprised him, she had only picked up a longbow for the first time in her life and on her first girl she had got a bull's-eye, there was something special about this girl, she was like no other.

"Robin" a voice called from over a hill and moments later Will appeared looking out of breath

"Marion's in the forest"

"Marion?" Robin asked

"Yeah" and without a moments thought Robin started up the hill pausing to shout back

"Much stay with Jinx" and with that he went over the hill and was out of sight

"Who's Marion?" Jinx asked

"Umm….she's..erm…" Much mumbled

"His lover?"
"No not exactly they're not there yet more like good friends"

"Basically lover then"

"No they were sweethearts but when Robin went off to fight in the Holy lands he.."

"Robin fought in the Holy lands?" Jinx cut in

"And so did I" Much said proudly then realising where Jinx was going with this "Oh no" but it was too late Jinx was already sprinting up the hill.

"Why did I open my big mouth?" Much sighed.

Over the hill and behind a tree Robin sat with Marion talking quietly

"I have missed you" he said

"Robin…." She started

"I take it that this is not a social call?"

"No it's about that girl you…."

"Jinx?" Robin cut in and Marion nodded "What about her?"

"She's a danger to you and your men"

"She's just a child"

"Robin do you not recognise her?" and Robin shook his head "Her father and brother fought in the Holy land….."

"I know and they were killed"

"Then you know they were nearly traitors?"

Robins eye were set ablaze by this comment "What?"

"Robin they were sent there by the sheriff to kill the king….. the sheriff caught them stealing food for their starving family and he threatened to kill them he said he would spare their lives if they killed the king and he said if they failed he would kill the rest of their family……..her brother Matthias and her father John did not go through with it because when it came down to it they found in their hearts that they could not kill the king who had ruled them so well…news got back to the sheriff and he sent Guy to have them killed and because they had failed the sheriff sent for the mother Rose to be killed…."

"But Jinx said she got ill"

"Robin….that's what she was told…what I told her when I helped her escape a near death"

"As the night watchman?" and Marion nodded

"But now Robin the sheriff knows that she is still alive and when she got caught for stealing the sheriff planned to have her killed to go through with his promise and now she has escaped he is even more furious about being outwitted by a child and if she is found you and your men will be caught and hanged for sheltering a prisoner…."

"She is a child…..I cannot let her be caught for a crime she has not committed she will not be another to fall foul to the sheriffs slaughtering…" Robin said firmly

"Robin….."

"Marion I will not let her be caught"

"Then let me help you"

Robin nodded "If you are going to help then you should meet her"

And as they made their way over to the clearing where he had left her he heard Much's voice yelling

"Come back"

All of a sudden Jinx ran straight into Robin and nearly fell over

"This seems to be a regular occurrence" he laughed

"Sorry"

Then Much burst into the clearing panting, Robin grinned when he saw him

"What's going on?" Robin asked

"Master are you sure this is a girl?" Much said trying to catch his breath

"I am sure" Robin laughed and put his hand on Much's shoulder "Must be your old age"

"No he's just plain weak" Allan.A.Dale cut in

Much shot a dirty look in his direction

"Jinx I want you meet someone" Robin said ignoring the bickering going on between Allan and Much "This is Marion" and Jinx nodded then did a double take

"Hang on I'm sure I recognise you"

Marion nodded slowly

"You saved me"

Marion nodded again

"But I swear you were dressed as a man…..oh I'm not saying you are a man because your not but you looked like a man then…I mean…" Jinx blushed as she tried to rectify her mistake "Why do you let me speak in public?" she asked Robin

"Because it's fun to watch you make a prat out of yourself" Allan cut in swiftly dogging one of Much's half hearted punches

"Thanks" Jinx said sarcastically

"Don't you know it's rude to fight in front of a lady?" Marion said smiling

And Allan and Much stopped

"Hey that didn't stop you before when I was here" Jinx said

"That is because you are not a lady" Much said and Jinx pouted "You run faster than me and I am a man a great strong man" he said puffing out his chest

Allan stomped on Much's foot

"OW!" he screamed

"Yeah big strong man" Allan laughed

Robin turned to Jinx "Marion has some news from the sheriff….he is looking for you and if he finds you he will kill you" Jinx's smile turned into fear

"Why?"

"Because he forced your family into a horrible task and they failed and now you have to pay the price"

So many emotions overcame Jinx at that point she sat down rather quickly on the floor

"W..w…why?" she stuttered

"Because the sheriff is an evil man" Marion replied softly

"No why is he coming for me what did they do?" Jinx said softly

"He….they tried to kill the king"

"No!" Jinx screamed and jumped up "No they didn't you're wrong they would never….No!"

Robin stood up and tried to calm her down

"Jinx…" he said in a comforting tone

"No!"

"Jinx calm down……"

"NO!"

She tried to run but Robin pulled her back and she fell into a hug with him

"No!" she said softly crying into his shoulder

"Shhh" he said stroking her head he glanced over his shoulder at Marion who stood there looking shocked and he shook his head.

It was the middle of the night when Jinx arose silently she crept out of the camp and stood in the moonlight, the rest of the day had been a blur she remembered crying into Robin and him taking her back to the camp and after everyone had fallen asleep she had still been awake sobbing it couldn't be true and if it was she would be putting others in danger this was her only choice she had to go and put them out of danger. She crept softly through the woods trying not to step on any branches. Suddenley she felt a presence behind her and then a hand pressed across her mouth she tried to shout out but the figure held her back

"Shhh don't scream it's me" she turned around and the figure dropped his hood

Jinx tried to say something but it was muffled

"Don't scream ok?" and she nodded and Robin released his grip he put a finger to his lips

"The sheriff's men are in the forest they know you are here" he whispered

"That's why I am going" she whispered back "So you are not in danger"

"Jinx….."

"Well well well what have we here" a new voice broke in, they both looked up and saw the sheriff and his men on horses looming over them Jinx cowered behind Robin

"Ah! Now you're scared like that pathetic brother and father of yours useless I mean if you want a job doing then do it yourself"

"Leave her alone she us just a child" Robin said standing up

"But if I was to do that I would be breaking my promise" they sheriff said mockingly

"What to kill an innocent child who did nothing"

"But you are forgetting she stole"

"A pair of boots in an innocent game"

"But stealing is wrong Robin you should know that"

"This isn't about the boots you want her dead because of what happened in the Holy lands"

The sheriff clapped mockingly "Well done boy" and he moved his horse back a few metres "Guards get the girl, I want her alive but I don't care what you do with him" he spat

"If you want to get to them you'll have to get through us first" Much said in a shaky voice as he appeared from behind a tree along with the rest of the outlaws

"Fine Guards I want all of the outlaws dead" and as he clicked his fingers they sprung into action.

What followed was a fight to save a young girl's life Robin and the other outlaws fought off the guards trying to keep Jinx in view at all times but in the darkness it was difficult the guards were not strong but there were many of them suddenly they heard a scream

"Jinx!" Robin yelled and he looked up to see her being held by Guy with a sneer on his face

"Robin Hood you are not as clever as they make you out to be…you fell for our diversion and now you pay the price with her life"

"NO!" Robin yelled but it was too late within seconds the Sheriff, Guy and the soldiers had sped off into the distance leaving the woods eerily quiet. Robin sat down on the forest flaw cursing himself for being so stupid

"Master the sheriff would have caught her eventually" Much said

"Much she was out here because she thought she was putting us in danger" Robin sobbed

"But she wasn't….."

"Exactly and now she's in his clutches" Robin ran his hands through his hair "We have to get her back…..she's an outlaw just like us. And outlaw's do not desert one another"

The outlaws nodded and started to put together a plan to get her back

"Hold on in there Jinx" Robin whispered